18-03-2025
Three young Aussies die in gruesome camping trip tragedy
Australia continues to grapple with a skyrocketing rate of road fatalities with another three young lives lost on Sunday afternoon when the 4WD the trio were in struck a tree while they were travelling home from a weekend camping trip.
Friends Chloe Websdale, 23, Joshua Cox, 26, and Kyle Retallack, 27, lost their lives on Brookton Highway in Lesley, situated 40 kilometres southeast of Perth. It was around 3pm when the white Nissan Patrol collided with the tree and all three passengers "suffered significant injuries and died at the scene", Western Australian Police said.
"The scenes that the first responders had to respond to were things that they'll probably never forget in their careers," acting Commissioner Mike Peters said.
It reportedly took up to three hours for emergency services to free the trio from the car.
Police have commenced an investigation as it is unclear what caused the crash. However, they were reportedly not speeding, and all three were wearing their seatbelts.
Caleb Cox paid tribute to his brother Joshua online saying he was "so grateful for the time we had together in this lifetime, I will forever cherish every moment".
"Words can't describe how I'm feeling," he said. "Keep the bevies cold and have em ready to go for when I get there."
Friends of Kyle told The West Australian he was a "lovely bloke" who was "kind-hearted" and "one of the most caring people", while Chloe's cricket teammates said she would be "greatly missed".
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Seven people lost their lives on WA roads last weekend, with a 16-year-old and 17-year-old dying near Roebourne when their off-road motorbike collided with a ute earlier on Sunday.
On Friday evening, 18-year-old Seb Foufas lost his life while travelling as a passenger in a ute that flipped on a dirt track, while a 32-year-old was killed at Allanson in the state's south.
Commissioner Peters told media police are out patrolling highways "every single day" and admitted, "I don't know what else to do", as the state — and country — continues to be crippled by the growing death toll.
Authorities are cracking down on driving offences and dangerous driving in a desperate bid to reduce the alarming road death statistics, with a 10-year plan launched in a bid to reduce the number of road deaths.
Last year was the deadliest year on Aussie rods since 2012, with 79 road deaths in February alone, according to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA) data.
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